’Course most of the time we was working at cotton and corn.  I’s spent most of my life farming.  I like it.  Moved around pretty considerable.  Sometimes I hired out—­sometimes I share cropped—­sometimes I worked thirds and fourths.  What does I mean by hired out—­I means worked for wages.  Which way did I like best—­I’ll take share-cropping.  I sort of like share-cropping.

I been in Hot Springs for 7 years.  Come to be with my daughter.” (An interruption by a small negro girl—­neatly dressed and bright-eyed.  Not content with watching from the sidelines she had edged closer and squatted comfortably within a couple of feet of the interviewer.  A wide, pearly grin, a wee pointing forefinger and, “Granddaddy, that lady’s got a tablet just like Aunt Ellen.  See, Granddaddy.”) “You mustm’t bother the lady.  Didn’t your mother tell you not to stop folks when they is talking.”—­the voice was kindly and there was paternal pride in it.  A nickle—­tendered the youngster by the interviewer—­and guaranteed to produce a similar tablet won a smile and childish silence.

“Yes, ma’am, I lives with my daughter—­her name is Lulu Mitchell.  She owns her house—­yes ma’am it helps.  But it’s sure hard to get along.  Seems like it’s lots harder now than it used to be when I was gitting started.  Lulu works—­she irons.  Another daughter lives right over there.  Her name’s Ellen.  She works too—­at what she can get to do.  She owns her house too.

Three of my daughters is living.  Been married twice—­I has.  Didn’t stay with the last one long.  Yes ma’am I been coming backwards and forewards to Hot Springs all my life—­you might say.  ’Twasn’t far over and I kept a’coming back.  Been living all around here.  It’s pretty nice being with my daughter.  She’s good to me.  I loves my granddaughter.  We has a pretty hard time—­Harder dan what I had when I was young—­but then it do seem like it’s harder to earn money dan what it was when I was young.”

Interviewer:  R.S.  Taylor
Person Interviewed:  Uncle William Baltimore
Resident:  Route #1, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Jefferson County.  Age:  103.

“You wants to know how old I is?  I’se lived a long time.  I’se goin’ on 104.  My gran’mammy was over 100 years.  My mamma was 100.  My pappy was 96.  They was twelve chilluns.  I don’t know if any of my sisters or brothers is livin’.  Don’t know if one of my friends back in my boy days is livin’.  I’se like a poor old leaf left hangin’ to a tree.

“Yes—­I sho do member back befo’ the war.  I was borned on the Dr. Waters place about twelve miles out of Pine Bluff on the east side of Noble Lake.  My gran’mammy and gran’pappy and my mamma and my pappy were slaves on de Walker plantation.  I was not bought or sold—­just lived on de old plantation.  I wasn’t whipped neither but once I mighty near got a beatin’.  Want to hear about it?  I likes to tell.